Examination Dates

Assistance for NAVLE Candidates

The NBVME office stands ready to help answer your questions or resolve problems you may encounter with the NAVLE application and registration process. Please do not hesitate to contact our office by mail, telephone, or e-mail, if you need assistance. It is better to ask for assistance than to assume that everything is fine, only to discover too late that you are unable to take the NAVLE because of problems with your application.

To reduce the potential for misunderstandings and to ensure the privacy of candidate information, the NBVME office will correspond only with the candidate regarding NAVLE application, request for testing accommodations, fee payment, registration, and score reporting questions, unless the candidate specifically authorizes the NBVME, in writing, to correspond with a third party. The NBVME may, however, correspond with the appropriate licensing board and/or veterinary school official regarding a candidate's status in the NAVLE program.

NBVME NAVLE Application Eligibility Requirements

Under NBVME requirements, those eligible to apply for the NAVLE include:

Graduates of schools accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Senior students at AVMA-accredited schools who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window, except for candidates applying through the California, Texas and New York state boards, which have an eight month graduation requirement.

Graduates of schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in or hold certificates issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), or the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE).

Candidates who are enrolled in ECFVG or PAVE must have completed the Step 3 examination requirement of the respective certification program before they may be approved by a licensing board to take the NAVLE.

Senior students at schools not accredited by the AVMA who are enrolled in the ECFVG or PAVE, who have an expected graduation date no later than ten months from the last date of the applicable testing window (except for candidates applying through the California, Texas and New York state boards, which have an eight month graduation requirement), and have completed their program's Step 3 examination.

Some state/territorial licensing board NAVLE eligibility requirements differ, and to be approved to take the NAVLE through those boards, you must meet their requirements.

NAVLE Application Process for Licensure in Canada

Apply directly to the NEB - If you are applying to take the NAVLE in order to obtain a license to practice veterinary medicine in Canada, you must contact the Canadian National Examining Board (NEB) and follow their NAVLE application procedures and requirements. NAVLE application and fee payment must be made directly to the NEB (not to the NBVME) by their application deadline date. The NEB has an early application deadline for some NAVLE testing windows. Contact the NEB office for additional information.

NAVLE Application Process for Licensure in the U.S. and U.S. Territories
- Two Applications Required -

If you are applying to take the NAVLE for the purpose of being licensed by a U.S. state or territorial veterinary licensing board, you must submit TWO NAVLE applications - a national NBVME NAVLE application (application #1), and a state/territorial NAVLE application (application #2).

The NAVLE Application Procedure Chart on this page provides an overview of licensing board NAVLE application procedures. Column 3 of this chart refers to submission of your NBVME NAVLE application #1 to the NBVME office, and a link is provided to the NBVME on-line and paper application page of this site. Column 4 of this chart refers to submission of your state/territorial NAVLE application #2. For those licensing boards for which the NBVME processes state NAVLE applications and approvals, column 4 provides a link to the state NAVLE application page on this site, which contains additional information on submission of application #2.

It is your responsibility to make sure both the NBVME and your licensing board office (or your board's designated NAVLE processor) have received all the necessary application paperwork and fees by their deadlines in order for you to be registered and approved to take the NAVLE.

APPLICATION #1 - NBVME national NAVLE application: You must submit this application and corresponding fee directly to the NBVME by the NBVME application receipt deadline.

Application #1 submission - All candidates applying through a U.S. state or territorial licensing board may submit the NBVME NAVLE application directly to the NBVME, either on-line or by paper application. On-line application fees can be paid by Visa or MasterCard. Paper application fees can be paid by check, cashier's check, or certified check or money order, payable in U.S. funds.

Application #1 deadline - The deadline for RECEIPT of application #1 in the NBVME office is August 1 for the November-December testing window, and January 3 for the April testing window. Candidates who fail the November-December NAVLE and who wish to repeat the examination in April will have a repeater application receipt deadline of February 15.

Non-transferable application - All candidates, including repeaters, must submit a new NBVME NAVLE application #1 and fee payment for each testing window. NAVLE applications and fees do not transfer from one testing window to a future NAVLE administration.

Non-refundable fee - The NAVLE fee is non-refundable. However, if you apply for the NAVLE and subsequently decide you do not want to take the examination, a refund will be considered if you contact the NBVME before your name is submitted to the test vendor, which is typically in mid-August for the November-December NAVLE and mid-January for the April NAVLE. Also, if you do not receive NAVLE approval from your licensing board (or their processor), your fee will be refunded.

Name entry - When completing the NBVME application, you must enter your name exactly as it appears on the government-issued, signed, photo identification you plan on presenting at the testing center on the day of your examination. That information is used in producing your NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permit, and your permit name and ID name must match exactly or you will not be admitted into the testing center.

E-mail address required - You must provide a reliable e-mail address on your NBVME application. Important information regarding the NAVLE and NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permits will be conveyed to candidates via e-mail correspondence.

Testing region location - When completing the NBVME NAVLE application, you must select the testing location where you will take the examination. Candidates taking the NAVLE in Prometric testing centers located in the U.S., U.S. Territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands), and Canada will pay the standard NAVLE application fee. Candidates choosing to test at overseas locations must pay an additional fee of $275.

Prometric test center locations are subject to change, and there is no guarantee that a center listed on the Prometric website at the time of application will be available for a future NAVLE administration. In the event a Prometric testing center closes, The NBVME will notify affected candidates on making alternate testing arrangements at another site. When completing the NAVLE application, you should select your testing location carefully, because if you have to change your testing region after you apply, there may be an additional fee to do so.

Overseas options - Overseas testing regions, and the countries within those regions where Prometric Testing Centers are located, are listed below. Additional information on available testing centers within these listed regions is available on the Prometric website.

Application Consent Statement for senior students - For candidates who are senior students at AVMA- accredited veterinary schools, the NAVLE application includes a consent statement, authorizing the NBVME to report individual NAVLE scores, identified by name, to the candidate's veterinary school. Scores for candidates who grant consent will be reported to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the candidate's veterinary school (or his/her designee) as soon as possible after the scores are reported to licensing boards. In addition, for candidates who do not pass, the school will receive a copy of the candidate's diagnostic score report. A candidate's score and diagnostic score report will not be made part of such candidate's academic record. Schools will be required to keep the score reports confidential, and to use the information only for internal purposes at the veterinary school. Candidates are under no obligation to agree to the consent statement, and scores for candidates who do not grant consent will not be reported to their veterinary school. A candidate's decision whether to release their score will not affect the candidate's student status at the veterinary school.

Changing your consent - Candidates may change their consent status by submitting a written request to the NBVME by e-mail at any time up to the opening of the testing window.

Candidate consent for application through California Board - If you are applying through the California Board and meet ALL the following criteria:

You are a senior student at an AVMA-accredited school

AND you intend to submit your NBVME NAVLE application by paper (rather than on-line)

AND you wish to grant consent for release of your NAVLE score information to your veterinary school

then you must download the consent statement below and include it with your paper application submission. Both the paper NBVME NAVLE application and the consent statement should be mailed to the NBVME office at: P.O. Box 1356, Bismarck, ND 58502California Waiver Page - Consent Statement

NAVLE Candidate Bulletin - When your application is received in the NBVME office, the NBVME will mail you a copy of the NAVLE Bulletin of Information for Candidates. This Bulletin of Information is also available in pdf and electronic format on this site.

APPLICATION #2 - State/territorial application for approval to take the NAVLE: You must submit a state/territorial NAVLE application to ONE licensing board (or to your board's designated NAVLE processor) by your board's (or processor's) application receipt deadline. That board (or processor) must approve your state NAVLE application, and notify the NBVME of that approval, for you to be eligibile to take the NAVLE.

Application #2 submission - State licensing board NAVLE application procedures vary. The NBVME processes state NAVLE applications on behalf of many licensing boards, some boards have a separate NAVLE application processor, and some boards process their own applications. For each testing window, submit your state/territorial NAVLE application #2 and fee payment according to the licensing board preferences and deadlines noted in column 4 of the NAVLE Application Procedure Chart below. This chart contains contact information for your licensing board (or their processor).

Application #2 deadline - A licensing board's NAVLE application deadline may be different that their deadline to apply for licensure. Submit your state NAVLE application #2 to the appropriate office by your board's NAVLE application deadline date.

Supporting documentation - Boards require supporting documentation to verify your NAVLE eligibility, and it is your responsibility to provide this documentation to the board (or their NAVLE processor) by the board's NAVLE application deadline. Check with your board (or processor) to determine the supporting documentation they require, and request the required documentation early from the appropriate source to ensure it reaches your board of application (or their processor) by their NAVLE deadline. Examples of verifying documentation your licensing board may require for your NAVLE application include:

For senior students at AVMA-accredited schools, a letter of good standing from your Dean's office, including your expected date of graduation.

For graduates of AVMA-accredited schools, a final transcript, certified copy of your diploma, or official letter from the Registrar's or Dean's office verifying your veterinary degree.

For foreign graduates, verification from ECFVG or PAVE stating that you have passed the program's step 3 examination.

Candidates with documented disabilities - If you are a candidate with a documented disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and require test accommodations, you must contact the licensing board through which you are seeking NAVLE approval (or their designated NAVLE processor) to obtain information regarding test accommodations, and application procedures and documentation requirements, before you apply for the NAVLE. All required documentation must be received in the board (or processor) office by their NAVLE application deadline date.

Submit documentation early - Accommodation requests and supporting documentation must be provided to the licensing board (or their processor) prior to, or at the time of, submission of your NAVLE application. It takes time to review the documentation necessary to approve test accommodations, so submitting your application and accommodation materials early is encouraged. This allows time for you to submit any additionally requested documentation necessary for approval of your request, prior to the application deadline date.

Approval of requested accommodations - All requests for accommodations must be approved by your licensing board (or their processor) and the NBVME. See the NAVLE Candidate Bulletin for more information.

Extended testing time accommodations - Due to the length of the standard NAVLE (7.5 hours), accommodations of extended testing time and/or more frequent breaks require two testing days.

Personal item exceptions - For candidates requiring personal items in the testing room for medical reasons that may not be covered under the ADA, please refer to the NAVLE Candidate Bulletin for further information.

NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permits

Candidates who meet the NAVLE application and eligibility requirements, and who are approved by a licensing entity to take the examination for a specified NAVLE testing window, will be issued a NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permit approximately 45 days prior to the opening of the testing window. The NBVME will send approved NAVLE candidates an e-mail message with instructions on how to access and print their individual permit online. Candidates must have the information on their permit in order to schedule their testing appointment through Prometric. For additional information on permits and the appointment scheduling process, please refer to the NAVLE Scheduling and Admission Permit page of this site.

NAVLE Score Reports

Your initial NAVLE score will be reported to the board that approved you to take the examination, at no additional cost to you. Your licensing board (or their designated NAVLE processor) is responsible for providing your score report to you. Scores for the November-December testing window are reported in mid-January, and scores for the April testing window are reported in mid-May.

If you are applying through a state identified with an asterisk * you must submit both your NBVME and state NAVLE applications directly to the NBVME office. If you are applying through one of these states and are submitting your application on-line, you must submit your NBVME NAVLE application #1 first. When submitting your online application #1 you will be directed automatically into your state on-line application #2.

Application #2
Contact the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) for the California state NAVLE application packet, & submit state NAVLE app #2 & fee to AAVSB office by their deadline.

Note: If you are a foreign graduate who has not passed the step 3 examination of your foreign equivalency program (ECFVG or PAVE), and are applying for direct approval thru NY, you must contact the NY Board office in Albany for application info.

What is NBVME

The NBVME provides standardized examinations for use by state and provincial licensing boards as part of their licensure procedure for veterinarians. This site will give you more information about the NBVME and its activities.